Slow Beer

Thursday, September 23, 2010

SLOWBEER'S NEWS, REVIEWS & ARRIVALS!

Another week arrives with plenty of exciting new releases from some excellent local producers. Despite the constant array of new brews hitting the shelves, I feel this is perhaps one of the best in recent times, given diversity in style & also the fact that they are all locally produced! We also have a classic brew available in growlers, just in time for the weekend!

FEATURE BEERSFERAL (WA) Hop Hog IPA 330ml $4.50/ $16.50 4pkLong touted as one of the country’s best breweries, beer lovers all over have been frustrated at the lack of access to their great range. Brendan produces some truly amazing stuff but surely this has to be the most anticipated of them all, with punters desperate for a decent, locally produced hop fix. Between this & next weeks arrival of Murray’s Icon2IPA, I think many of us will have our warmer weather beers settled. Rich malt, citrus fruit & a nice piney bitterness on the finish, what more could you want.

BURLEIGH (QLD) Black Giraffe 650ml $10.50Next in the “bit on the side” limited release project following My Wife's Bitter. Stylistically this brew is a German schwartzbier or black lager. The use of roasted dark malt imparts natural coffee notes, however the addition of actual coffee beans in the brewing process heightens this further. The use of a bottom fermenting lager yeast, means this has a slightly cleaner, less astringent finish than your normal stout, while still maintaining the bittersweet roast characters.

MOUNTAIN GOAT (VIC) Rare Breed Double Hightail 650ml $9.50Originally brewed to celebrate the goat’s 10th birthday. Now a few years past & its great to see this in the rare breed range. Apparently this brew is what the regular hightail would be if there were no monetary constraints & also no need to have universal appeal. This is a big beer, plenty of rich caramel & toffee from the malt, while the use of galaxy hops provides a nice fruitiness with an earthy bitterness on the finish. Certainly an amped up, more modern take on an English bitter.

2 BROTHERS (VIC) Voodoo Baltic Porter 330ml $6.00In my opinion, a severely underrated style. A Baltic porter is actually a lager, despite the original porters of the UK being top fermenting ales. Reason being is that brewers in the Baltic states made utilized the ever so widely used bottom fermenting yeast. Rich dark malt, brings espresso coffee, licorice & a slight raisin note, while the lager yeast provides a cleanliness on the finish.WINNER OF PREMIERS TROPHY FOR BEST VICTORIAN BEER & GOLD MEDAL AT 2010 AIBA!

3 RAVENS (VIC) Rye Roggenbier 500ml $9.00Pleasingly, in the ravens boys we have another local brewery sticking with their regular limited releases. Much like the previous versions, this is essentially an evolved, more interesting take on one of their regular beers. To my tastes, this seems to have utilized the white ale as a base, though I could be wrong. A roggenbier is a somewhat obscure German style ale, using a wheat beer yeast & at least 60% rye in the grain bill, which certainly makes for a thick wort! This example has some delicate honey notes on the front & mid palate before the rye adds a nice savory & spicy character. Really cool beer & very unique! FILLING ON GROWLERSHARVIESTOUN (SCO) Bitter & TwistedSurely one of the most iconic UK beers & certainly follows the sessionable ale mantra of CAMRA. The use of traditional European hop varieties for both aroma & bittering enables this brew to have layers of complexity, without screaming at you. Up front there is a delicate floral hop aroma, while the palate has subtle citrus fruit with an earthy, spicy bitterness. This brew is quite complex but with a high degree of drinkability. Easy to see why this is a classic!We will start filling growlers of it on Friday & continue until the keg is dry! $25 for the fill.

NIGHT OF FUNK – CANTILLON SHOWCASEAfter the success of our previous sessions, I thought it apt that we push the envelope & challenge beer lovers even more. With this in mind our next tasting will include the following:

When: BOTH Wednesday 13th October 7pm & Sunday 17th October 7pmCost: $25.00 to try ALL beers ($235 value!)+ Attendees receive 10% DISCOUNT on any purchase that nightIF YOU WISH TO ATTEND PLEASE LET US KNOW WHICH SESSION, SO THAT WE CAN CONFIRM NUMBERS ASAP!

Friday, September 17, 2010

SLOWBEER'S NEWS, REVIEWS & ARRIVALS!

Short & sweet, with business as usual this week. New arrivals & fresh stocks of some highly sought after brews, plus the arrival of perhaps one of our most exciting growler offerings yet!

WE NEED YOU...& YOUR GROWLER!If you have been tracking the progress of our growlers the past 2 months, you would know that it has been a huge success. So much so that we are now (at least for the moment) completely out of actual growler bottles. When we originally placed the order with our US contact, we were unsure how popular they would be, clearly our estimate was far too conservative!

If anybody has more than one growler or is willing to part with theirs, it would be much appreciated if you brought it back to us, so that we can share the craft beer love around! Obviously, we will reimburse you the $15 growler cost. While this may be a huge sacrifice for some, rest assured your loved one will find both a safe & happy new home! We will be placing another (much bigger) order from the US very soon, so don’t expect these growler shortages to last too long. Thanks in advance!NEW ARRIVALSFROM AUSTRALIASEVEN SHEDS (TAS) Kentish Ale 750ml $9.00 – English Brown AleElephants Trunk 750ml $14.00 – Spiced Belgian Strong Dark AleStark Raven 750ml $13.00 – Organic Oatmeal StoutFROM NEW ZEALANDHARRINGTONS (NZ) Big John Special Reserve 500ml $8.00 – Scotch Ale fortified with BourbonBelgian Tempest 500ml $9.00 – Belgian Strong Golden AlePig & Whistle 500ml $7.00 – Dark LagerEast Indies Lager 500ml $7.00 – Zesty & refreshing summer lagerClassy Red 330ml $4.50 – American Style Pale AleFRESH STOCKSFROM NEW ZEALANDRENAISSANCE MPA Imperial IPA 500ml $13.00Craftsman Choc Oat Stout 500ml $10.00Stonecutter Scotch Ale 500ml $11.50Elemental Porter 500ml $11.00Discovery APA 500ml $10.00Perfection Pale 500ml $10.00Paradox Blonde 500ml $9.50

FROM UKFullers Golden Pride 500ml $9.00Guinness Foreign Extra 330ml $6.00Moorhouse Black Cat 500ml $8.50Jennings Snecklifter 500ml $8.00Wadworth 6x 500ml $7.50FILLING ON GROWLERSNOGNE O (NOR) #100Is this the most exciting growler offering yet? You be the judge! Its very rare that we see nogne o kegs here in Oz, so I’m pretty pumped to have this one in my possession. Stylistically, the Batch #100 is a hybrid of sorts. To my mind it is part, IPA, part barley wine & even a touch porter. Rich malt, robust hops & a hint of roast. Such perfect synergy for a beer that is a number of styles rolled into one. Fittingly, only one word can describe this brew, outstanding!We will start filling growlers of it on Saturday & continue until the keg is dry! $35 for the fill.UP NEXT: HARVIESTOUN Bitter & TwistedNIGHT OF FUNK – CANTILLON SHOWCASEAfter the success of our previous sessions, I thought it apt that we push the envelope & challenge beer lovers even more. With this in mind our next tasting will include the following:

When: BOTH Wednesday 13th October 7pm & Sunday 16th October 7pmCost: $25.00 to try ALL beers ($235 value!)+ Attendees receive 10% DISCOUNT on any purchase that nightIF YOU WISH TO ATTEND PLEASE LET US KNOW WHICH SESSION, SO THAT WE CAN CONFIRM NUMBERS ASAP!

Friday, September 10, 2010

SLOWBEER'S NEWS, REVIEWS & ARRIVALS!

Well, what a week it was! Thanks to all of those who came along to take advantage of the Birthday Festivities last week. Needless to say it was pretty hectic but in the best possible way. Having said that, we are back to business as usual with a number of very exciting arrivals this week!

NOGNE O DARK HORIZON #2 GIVEAWAY!CONGRATULATIONS TO JEREMY SHIFTAN & SCOTT MITCHELL, WHO ARE EACH THE PROUD NEW OWNERS OF A BOTTLE OF NOGNE O DARK HORIZON 2ND EDITION! - These will be kept aside for you to pick up from the store at your convenience :)FEATURE BEERSHARVIESTOUN (SCO) Ola Dubh 12yo 330ml $12.00How long have I waited to try this beauty? The time has finally come! This was actually the first collaboration between a brewery & distillery, being Harviestoun & Highland Park. If anyone is into their single malts, then they would no doubt be familiar with Highland Park. The beer itself is a manifestation of the brewery’s famed “Old Engine Oil”. Dark & rich doesn’t begin to describe this multilayered brew. Chocolate, coffee & molasses from the malt, with oak, vanilla & a touch of peat, all seamlessly interwoven. This is a classic & you’d be daft not to agree!HITACHINO NEST (JAP) Lacto Sweet Stout 330ml $6.50So as you probably guessed it, this is a lacto stout. For the uninitiated, usually the use of lactose (milk sugar), imparts some sweetness & acidity. You could say that this has both but the acidity is certainly overriding, in essence replacing the cleansing characteristic that bitterness from roasted malt attributes. Much like their red rice ale, this is a crazy brew! Sweet & sour, come to think of it, would probably be great with a sago pudding.

RED HILL (VIC) Weizenbock 330ml $5.50These seasonals from down mornington way are always met with so much excitement, certainly a positive endorsement for the great work Karen & Dave are doing down there. In my opinion weizenebocks are an extremely underrated style, often overshadowed by their strong, dark belgian cousins. This example has everything you could ever want. Rich caramel, toffee & dark fruit, a delicate nutty, sourdough character & a touch of estery banana & clove on the finish. Cool weather perfection!

FROM CANADAUnibroue La Fin du Monde 750ml $17.50Unibroue Terrible 750ml $23.00Unibroue Trois Pistoles 750ml $17.50FILLING ON GROWLERSBRIDGE RD (VIC) Bling IPAEveryone should heed Ben’s advice & pimp their growler this weekend! Bling is a beer with all the bells & whistles. Rich malt profile, with a heap of new world, high alpha hop varieties, attributing citrus & stonefruit with a robust & cleansing, earthy bitterness on the finish. $20 for the fill if you have your own growler.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

SLOWBEER'S 1ST BIRTHDAY SALE & GIVEWAY!

I know we always say it but this week promises to be a big one. Of course there are plenty of excellent new arrivals due, however as of this week we have reached a major milestone & are CELEBRATING OUR 1ST BIRTHDAY! To get everyone as excited about this as us, we will be OFFERING 10% OFF STOREWIDE & 20% OFF A DOZEN OR MORE! Its certainly not often that we drop our prices, as we believe we have the most competitive craft beer prices around. That said, given such an occasion it seemed more than appropriate.

1ST BIRTHDAY SALE!Pretty simple really. 10% off all in store purchases & 20% off a dozen or more. We will be running this offer all week (thurs-sun). Excludes growlers.

NOGNE O DARK HORIZON #2 GIVEAWAY!In addition to this, we have a number of bottles of the much revered Nogne O Dark Horizon #2 to give away! That’s right, this $65 beer has been cellaring at the brewery for the last year since its release & the lads were kind enough to let some go.How to enter: Simply purchase any beers in the huge Mikkeller & Nogne O ranges to go into the draw to win 1 of 2 Dark Horizons!Tasting Notes: (Upon last years release) Pretty pleased to have tried this & certainly don’t regret having it at such a young age. Pours black with not much of a head. Nose has a heap of coffee, dark liquered fruits & roasted malt with the high abv attributing a slight spirity character, also a touch of smoke & tar. Palate is pretty thick and mouth coating as you would expect from the 16%abv. Coffee is integrated with the dark malt really well & while dominating it certainly doesn't stick out of place. Surprised this isn't a whole lot sweeter, which is definitely a pleasant surprise showing great balance. Highly recommend, despite hefty price.FEATURE BEERSLittle Creatures Single Batch Oatmeal Stout 500ml $5.50Seemingly powering through the single batch brews, which is music to a beer nerds ears! As you'd expect there is plenty of dark roasted malt, while the use of oats imparts a rich & viscous, yet smooth mouth feel. Lastly a touch of traditional hop bitterness on the finish compliments the lot.

Hargreaves Hill ESB 330ml $4.50/$16.50 4pkHalleluiah! At long last we see this perennial favorite in bottles. Since its arrival on draught a few years ago, punters have been so enamored with this brew. Perhaps it is due to the use of galaxy hops that impart some delicious tropical fruit notes & grassy bitterness, while the rich malt presence provides nice honey & slight caramel on the palate? Either way, this is going to fly off the shelves!

Hargreaves Hill Foreign Export Stout 330ml $4.50/$16.50 4pkSimon from Hargreaves has clearly been a busy boy with 2 new limited releases hitting the shelves! This being almost the complete opposite of the sessionable ESB above. Foreign Export Stouts were traditionally brewed to be more robust, with a heap of bittersweet dark roasted malt & an ever so slight raisin-like dark fruit character. A very moreish stout.

Bridge Rd Brewers 5th Anniversary B2Bomber 750ml $30.00Black Belgian IPA, what is there not to like here? Ben has seemingly gone all out & produced a mish-mash of everyone’s favorite styles. The big question is, has he pulled it off? Dark malt with a touch of roast, a hint of dark fruit sweetness, spicy Belgian esters & a hit of hop bitterness on the finish. There certainly is a heap to get your head around but Ben has done a brilliant job!

Bridge Rd Megachile Pluto Braggot 330ml $6.50Had this for a few weeks now & realized it hasn’t had a mention yet. An embarrassment of riches as far as braggots are concerned, this little known style now has 2 brand new local releases dedicated to it. Red Duck example has previously been mentioned & the two could not be more different. The use of honey, cinnamon & nutmeg provides a nice subtle sweetness with some spice on the finish & a touch of hop bitterness to cleanse the palate. Like I said, completely different beast to the Red Duck but thoroughly enjoyable.

FILLING ON GROWLERSBridge Rd Brewers 5th Anniversary B2BomberAs you probably gathered, there isn’t a whole lot to say that wasn’t mentioned above. We will start filling growlers of it on Friday & continue until the keg is dry! $25 for the fill, $40 including growler.BEER & BREWER MAG BEST BEER VENUE – VOTE FOR US!The brilliant beer & brewer mag is running a competition to find the best beer venue in Oz! There are a number of categories, of which we fit into the Bottle Shop (300+ beers). We would very much appreciate if you could show us some support & vote for us. After all, we are the only 100% dedicated craft beer store in Oz & also the only non-brewery in the country to be offering growler fills. If only they had categories for that! Unfortunately they don’t, so be sure to mention this & all that is great about slowbeer :)